Liberated Learning

LL005 Cultural Curiosity

People of the global majority have to work twice as hard to be twice as good. Kisa shares how she can face people questioning her expertise and --to no surprise—Mike shares that he hasn’t been questioned in the same way even when someone disagrees with him. Kisa and Mike dig deep into cultural curiosity, expertise, and what it feels like to navigate learning spaces where your humanity is always up for debate.
Tune in—and when you’re done, talk about it with your people.
 
*Mike references Playing with Nature: Supporting Preschoolers’ Creativity in Natural Outdoor Classrooms by Christine Kiewra and Ellen Veselack 
chromeextension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1120194.pdf 
Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 
Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

LL004 Multiple Things Can Be True

Having all the answers is a Eurocentric idea that is woven into the educational system. But we are better served with curiosity. When children play, they actively construct their knowledge. We should bring that same curiosity when working with children. Another shortcoming of the idea of having all the answers is that each of us sees the world through are unique cultural lens. Just because you have an answer doesn’t mean it is the same answer as someone else. 
In the spirit of curiosity, Mike and Kisa share some of their own cultural identities and experiences that shape the way they look at the world. They end up with more questions than answers. 
Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 
Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

LL003 What Has Value?

Kisa and Mike reflect on the view of educators as people who bestow skills and knowledge on children and find it to be a dehumanizing practice. This practice creates a barrier to authentic relationships between everyone in the learning community, children and adults. This is especially true for the flibbertigibbets of the world who can be seen as a problem to solve rather than person to celebrate. 
Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 
Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

LL002 Finding Our Way to Liberation

Kisa starts with a story about a child bringing a big stick back from the park, but the conversation quickly pivots to the nature of freedom and exercising power over, for and with others. Later, Kisa says that she prefers taking the back roads rather than the highway. This conversation is proof. 
Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/ 
Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness 

LL001 The Conversation Begins

Kisa and Mike like to talk. In this first episode, you can listen in as they reflect on their journeys with young children. Unsurprisingly, the conversation starts with a reflection on words because changing the words you use, changes how you think about things and even, what you do. 
Kisa can be found at The Playlab Foundation and Mike at Inclusion Includes Us, on Instagram and Facebook. Their books are available at https://www.redleafpress.org/
Theme music by John's Black Dirt https://johnsblackdirt.bandcamp.com/album/horrible-moments-of-upness